US bans electronic carry-ons from 8 Muslim countries

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. on Tuesday issued stringent regulations for airline passengers carrying electronic devices.

The Department of Homeland Security said the restrictions would apply immediately to flights from 10 foreign airports in eight Muslim-majority countries, including Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport.

It cited fresh “evaluated intelligence” that suggested terror groups continued to target commercial flights by “smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items”.

For people departing from the affected airports, devices larger than a mobile telephone, such as tablets, portable DVD players, laptops and cameras, are prohibited from being carried aboard but can be placed in checked luggage.

Medical devices are exempt but still have to be scanned before being taken aboard.

In addition to Ataturk, the airports affected are: Jordan's Queen Alia International Airport; Cairo International Airport; King Abdul-Aziz International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia; Morocco's Mohammed V Airport; Hamad International Airport in Qatar; Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE; and Kuwait International Airport.

The department said a “small percentage of flights” to the U.S. would be affected and the regulations would remain in place “until the threat changes”.

“These are risk-based decisions and TSA continuously assesses security risks and seeks to balance necessary security requirements with their operational impact on the industry,” the statement said, referring to the Transportation Security Administration.